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Croucher Foundation held its Foundation Day Dinner and Awards Presentation Ceremony on 8 December to present the Croucher Senior Research Fellowships 2026 to two distinguished scholars from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the University of Hong Kong (HKU); as well as the Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellowship 2026 to a distinguished scholar from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), for their outstanding scientific research achievements. The Honourable Mr Wong Yan-lung, GBM, SC, Former Trustee of Croucher Foundation, was the Guest of Honour at the ceremony.

The list of new fellows is as follows:

Croucher Senior Research Fellowships 2026

Professor Yang Chai
Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty of Science and Chair Professor of Semiconductor Physics,
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Professor Kaibin Huang
Philip K H Wong Wilson K L Wong Professor in Electrical Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
The University of Hong Kong

Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellowship 2026

Professor Liona Poon
Professor (Clinical), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Biographies of the awardees:

Professor Yang Chai, Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty of Science and Chair Professor of Semiconductor Physics, PolyU

Professor Yang Chai is the Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty of Science and Chair Professor of Semiconductor Physics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He studied his Bachelor at Nanjing University and Master at Peking University. He then completed his PhD at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Professor Chai’s current research work focuses on bioinspired computing and semiconductor devices. His research interests encompass the hardware implementation of high-performance computation with advanced semiconductor technologies and edge computing for energy-efficient artificial intelligence (AI). To address the grand challenge of the computational inefficiency at sensory terminals, Chai proposed a disruptive in-sensor computing paradigm that revolutionises AI computation at the sensor level. He concretised this in-sensor computing paradigm through hardware implementation for vision sensors, enabling increased efficiency and enhanced functionalities, including improved image recognition, visual adaptation in extremely dim/bright lighting, and agile perception of dynamic motion, etc.

(Please click here for Professor Chai’s full biography.)

Professor Kaibin Huang, Philip K H Wong Wilson K L Wong Professor in Electrical Engineering, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, HKU

Professor Kaibin Huang is the Philip K H Wong Wilson K L Wong Professor in Electrical Engineering and the Department Head at the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong. He received the B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees from the National University of Singapore and the PhD degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Professor Huang has advanced wireless communication technologies from 4G to 6G, tackling key challenges in increasing data rates, extending network lifespan, and enhancing network intelligence. His work on efficient channel feedback for multi-antenna systems enables the systems to adapt transmitter waveforms to real-time channel conditions, which is critical for high-rate data transmission. Collectively, his research has influenced the evolution of mobile networks and impacted both academic and industrial advancements in next-generation wireless technologies.

(Please click here for Professor Huang’s full biography.)

Professor Liona Poon, Professor (Clinical), Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, CUHK

Professor Liona Poon is a Professor (Clinical) in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at CUHK. She obtained her Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ School of Medicine, University of London, followed by a Doctor of Medicine (Research) from the same institution and an MSc in medical genetics from CUHK.

Though she began her career in clinical obstetrics and gynaecology, Professor Poon’s research has become highly interdisciplinary. Her work focuses on precision medicine strategies for major obstetrical syndromes, encompassing novel screening algorithms for preeclampsia, foetal growth restriction, and preterm birth, as well as innovative ultrasound tools for foetal brain development assessment. Through these innovative researches, Poon aims to advance personalised maternal healthcare and improving outcomes for mothers and infants.

(Please click here for Professor Poon’s full biography.)

Winners of the previously announced Croucher Tak Wah Mak Innovation Awards 2025, and the Study Awards 2025, were also featured at the event.

The four awardees of the Croucher Innovation Awards 2025 were Dr Gary Choi, Vice-Chancellor Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at CUHK; Dr Xueyang Song, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; Dr Chao Xiang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at HKU, and Dr Jijian Xu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at City University of Hong Kong.

About Croucher Innovation Awards, Croucher Senior Research Fellowships and Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellowships

The Croucher Innovation Awards, Croucher Senior Research Fellowships and Croucher Senior Medical Research Fellowships represent the Croucher Foundation’s most prestigious awards, granted only after a robust selection exercise, detailed international peer review and long discussions between Governors. The total value of each Innovation Award is HK$5 million. The maximum value of each Senior Research Fellowship is about HK$3 million, and each Senior Medical Research Fellowship is about HK$4.8 million, including the cost of a replacement teacher.

For media enquiries, please contact:

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Angela Lui
Senior Manager, Public Affairs
Communications and Public Affairs Office
Tel: 3400 3256, Email: angela-mw.lui@polyu.edu.hk

The University of Hong Kong
Jaymee Ng
Senior Manager (Media Relations)
Communications and Public Affairs Office
Tel: 3910 3612, Email: ngjaymee@hku.hk

The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Phoebe Leung
Executive, Corporate Communications
Communications and Public Relations Office
Tel: 3943 1719, Email: phoebeleung@cuhk.edu.hk